feeding the bonded

[Deleted User]

I noticed since my rabbits have moved in together that my mini rex Lint has gained weight. He is three years old, and weighs 4 lbs. I don’t want him to keep getting bigger until it becomes a health risk. With the new year starting, I decided to feed him separately, since his pellet intake is to blame for his weight gain. — He gobbles up some of my other three rabbits’ pellets. He eats so fast. When Deirdra, Mops and Neigey are eating their measured pellets, he now gets just a few pellets by himself in another part of the house. It seemed like an inconvinience in the beginning but it has become a routine which I will have to keep up. I can see that when you have a greedy rabbit bonded to another, larger breed of rabbit that needs more feed, it can become a problem. The topic of how much to feed rabbits that live together has come up before and few people seem to have troubles, but I do. Lint must dine alone or he will become obese.

 

He likes the attention of this new diet.

(The handfeeding is really not necessary.)

–this article about obesity in rabbits I liked, check it out if you think your bunny might need to slim down.

http://www.rabbitsinthehouse.org/newsletter/obesity.pdf

I searched to find any information about the “fat gene” in the mini rex but couldn’t. Is there actually such a gene or do the mini rexes tend to get fat fast because of their dwarf genes? Or, is it because they need less protein due to the short coat? Angoras are said to thrive better on an alfalfa pellet because of all that hair they grow, so I wonder.

[Elrohwen]

I’d really like to get a big bunny to bond to Otto, but I’ve thought about this issue. He’s a little guy and I wouldn’t want him eating twice as many pellets as he needs. I would probably try feeding them separately like you are. I love the hand feeding picture 😉

Good quesitons about why rexes gain weight faster. Certain dog breeds are always prone to weight gain and I’ve never figured that out either.

[Sarita]

I don’t think there is an actual fat gene for rexes. I have to wonder as well if it’s due to their shorter coat that they just add more fat to keep warm. I also think perhaps they just tend to look chubbier because they have those wrinkles in their forehead.

[kralspace]

My rex, Lola, is a bit of a chunky monkey but with all the out time she demands she’s very slowly losing a bit. Not sure if she’s a mini or not, her head is very small and dainty. I fool her by letting her out and while she’s up front terrorizing my son by trying to snack on his X-box wires I slip Daisy pellets in the condo. There’s always a few left for Lola and I use them to get her to come to me. But yeah, she sucks them up like a vacuumm.

I used to have a ramp so she could run up into the condo, but now she can take a flying leap and land in the first floor with few problems. (one grid high)

[Deleted User]

Elrohwen, I imagine that some breeds of dogs tend to get overweight such as the labs because they were initially designed to have incredible endurance but now have become favorite pets and get a fraction of the exercise but their appetites stayed the same. Mine rexes are very active so I wonder if they have a high metabolism that comes genetically in a package together with big appetite?
Otto isn’t a mini rex and you would know if he is a glutton. With my other rabbit Mops bonding has helped to get him eating, he used to just pick at things before and passed up most things. He eats with my bigger rabbit Deirdra and it has not made him fat.

 

[Sarita]

Petzy, here’s a reply from Dana Krempels – why don’t you write her and ask her theory?

en.allexperts.com/q/Rabbits-703/Overweight-Bun-2.htm

See her mention about the genetic characteristic…

Actually, it’s Lee Meyer  not Dana Krempels, but you might ask him.

[Beka27]

All rabbits are going to be different too. With my pair, they will routinely choose hay over pellets… so I don’t bother with feeding them separately. They both know to walk (hop) away when they’ve had enough.

[Monkeybun]

Posted By kralspace on 01/18/2010 11:18 AM
My rex, Lola, is a bit of a chunky monkey 

 

Monkey would like to say that Monkeys are NOT chunky, they are slim, sleek, beautiful creatures

[kralspace]

oh dear! Please tell Monkey I was not speaking of her Sleekness! Lola is chunky human, like her bunny mom 😉

[Deleted User]

Thanks Sarita, I definitely want to read Dr Krempel’s theory.

edit: oops, Lee Meyer, got it. Apparently he’s maxed out with questions right now…

[Jenna, Chubs & Comet]

I have had a similar problem since Chubs and Comet have bonded. Comet is a little piggie who likes to gobble up all pellets or veggies available as soon as possible! Chubs eats more slowly and sometimes eats some and comes back later for the rest. This was an issue because Comet was eating some of Chubs’ share just because Chubs eats more slowly. I fixed it by feeding them differently. Between the two of them, they get 1/2 cup of pellets a day but since Chubs only eats a little at a time, I feed them 1/4 cup in the morning which they share pretty evenly since it’s a smaller amount. Then they get the other 1/4 cup to share when I get home from work. This way they eat more equal shares. Veggies are not such an issue since they get probably 5-6 cups between them and a little less/more than half of that won’t hurt anyone

[jerseygirl]

I agree some of it is appetite and metabolism but I think there can be an element of competiveness in there too. It reminds me of an study I’ve book marked to read. I’m thinking it was about competative eating. Must endevour to find it and read.
Rumball was a slow eater when he first came. Still is compared to Jersey. I find he gets more excited about food though now. Jersey always devours whatever she’s given. I can’t exactly be sure, but I think there’s an element of competative eating from her now that she’s sharing. It has gotten better though.

[Deleted User]

That’s a good way to do it, Jenna, distributing the amounts into two servings. When Lint was only bonded to Mops, his greed was not a problem, but I think that now since he is in a quartet he eats a little bit of three other rabbits’ portions and that’s just too much. Jersey, let me know when you find the study about competitive eating.

[Jenna, Chubs & Comet]

lol, as far as veggies, Chubs has started to figure out that Comet is a little piggie. Sometime he will grab a chunk of something he wants (usually cilantro) and run away with it to eat it. Comet’s usually too focused on the plate of veggies and doesn’t follow so Chubs gets to eat what he wants of his favorites too Kinda cute.

[Balefulregards]

I have noticed the same thing – Jackson is a very competitive eater – will snatch food OUT of Coco’s mouth and run with it. She doesn’t seem distressed and goes back to eating the next piece of salad. However, when I do give them pellets, if I don’t feed Coco separately, he will muscle in an gobble them all.

Since he is not a huge fan of being on the bed, I bring Coco’s pellet bowl up and set it next to me. She gets to eat her fill before he gets his own bowl of pellets, He will eventually jump up and eat from his bowl after he has watched her be up there obviously eating for a good 15 mintues( and it is one of the ways I am trying to make him less skittish of Humans, by eating next to me on my territory)

Since he is nearly over twice her size, he can really just use his body to muscle in on her food. Thank heavens his standing over the food and eating, eating, eating until it was gone has subsided. However, that took 5 months to settle down.

[Deleted User]

Sometimes I’ve wondered if it would be easier feeding a bonded group if they were all the same size and age so there would be identical dietary needs, but I have 2 mini rexes and only one does the pellet bullying! He will also always choose sugary fruit over healthy greens, while the other mini rex eats green healthy things before sugary things like apples. — Liike Beka said: each bun is different.
Interesting to note that Coco’s greed subsided over time. I don’t know if it will with my Lint. Maybe I give too little pellets and that’s why they are so mad for them. I really don’t want to increase pellets, though. I was so pleased with Deirdra getting in shape.

[Monkeybun]

M&M go bonkers over pellets these days, now that they are both limited. Monkey does little acrobatics for them, bouncing off the pen walls. Yesterday my hubby was giving them to her, and she ended up perched on top of the pen wall, unsure of how she got there. She just sat there staring at him til he helped her down hehe. Moose bounces for his too, but inhales them right after he gets them, I dont think I have to worry about Monkey stealing his food

[Jenna, Chubs & Comet]

I do think it is slightly easier that mine are the same breed/same size when it comes to feeding! Comet is still a little piglet though…lol. And Monkey, that’s funny. Mine go nuts for pellets too! It’s fun giving them twice a day because they are all cute and begging, and running circles around my feet when I get up and they get their first half. Then they do it all over again when I get home from work and they get their second half

[Monkeybun]

I’ll have to drive out to Astoria to see the loppies sometime, I promise not to bunnynap them

[Laura]

My 4 buns (2 in one pen and 2 in another) have always had their own bowls.  The low, 2 sided ones you find in the cat aisle.  Veggies on one side, pellets on the other.  They get fed at the same time and I keep the bowls as far apart from each other as possible.  I hang around while they eat so there is no food stealing when one finishes before the other.  Usually a fresh batch of timothy keeps them distracted from eating another buns food.

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